1975 Weaving after Alexander Calder

This woven-jute design belongs to a series initially conceived in conjunction with Calder, who allowed his abstractions to be reproduced as mats and hammocks that would be sold to benefit earthquake victims in Central America. According to the Calder Foundation, these items were instead falsely marketed as editioned tapestries. Though they are not recognized by the organization as true Calders, they remain quite collectible. (The late decorator Alberto Pinto owned one, as does actor Will Ferrell.) This example sold for $11,000—nearly double its $6,000 high estimate.

Photo courtesy of Rago

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Oh Gee, 1998–2004, by Ken Price

Demand is soaring for painted ceramic sculptures by Price—a pioneering artist who died last year, at age 77, and is currently the subject of a traveling retrospective. (The exhibition comes to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on June 18.) This 19"-tall piece was estimated at $150,000–$200,000, the most to date for any of his works. “It is especially significant due to its size, and because it was one of his final pieces with an opening,” says Alex Heminway, the director of Phillips’s New York design department, referring to the holes that Price inserted into many of his signature creations. “He kept it in his studio for years until deciding on a color combination.” The hammer price, $260,000, is an artist record.

Photo courtesy of Phillips

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Circa-1900 pocket watch by René Lalique

Bidding wars erupted over several Lalique works at this sale featuring Art Nouveau treasures from the now-closed Garden Museum in Nagoya, Japan. Buyers grew particularly competitive over this gold pocket watch. Embellished with an enameled motif of butterflies—and, on the reverse side, bats—the timepiece hammered to applause for an extraordinary $773,500, almost three times the $267,000 high estimate. Eleven years ago the same watch sold for $180,000.

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

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1935 Duesenberg Model SJ convertible coupe

Estimated at $3.5–5 million, this classic car realized $4.1 million, making it the top lot at the annual automobile sales on Amelia Island. One of only three made with such coachwork (and the sole version with a supercharged engine), the convertible signaled the final evolution of the Duesenberg, widely considered to be the pinnacle of American automotive design. Jay Leno owns a ’32 model SJ, and couturier Karl Lagerfeld is also a fan of the marque, having told AD, “There is nothing more beautiful than a Duesenberg.”

Photo courtesy of RM Auctions

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Pair of vintage side chairs by André Sornay

Given the booming market for furniture by iconic French modernists like Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand, investment-minded collectors are gravitating toward pieces by their lesser-known compatriots—chief among them Sornay (1902–2000). Based in Lyon, beyond the spotlight of Paris, the designer devised a body of crisp, ruggedly masculine work. Crafted of Oregon pine and accented with Sornay’s hallmark nailhead detailing, these two side chairs sold for a satisfying $3,050, a price that eclipsed their $260–$390 estimate.